


What Lies Beneath

by unbroken_halo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26907550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbroken_halo/pseuds/unbroken_halo
Summary: Harry has been missing for years. Presumed dead, everyone moves on with their lives... everyone except Hermione. She doesn't give up hope, and one Halloween night, while paying her respects to James and Lily's grave, Harry reveals himself to her.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 24
Kudos: 99
Collections: Mermaids Werewolves Veela — Oh My! A Creature Harmony Halloween Competition





	What Lies Beneath

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [HarmonyHalloweenCompetition2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HarmonyHalloweenCompetition2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> Harry has been missing for years. Presumed dead, everyone moves on with their lives... everyone except Hermione. She doesn't give up hope, and one Halloween night, while paying her respects to James and Lily's grave, Harry reveals himself to her. (Harry could be werewolf, vampire, etc - author's choice).
> 
> This piece was written for A Creature Harmony Halloween Competition hosted by Harmony & Co. All canon characters, plots, dialogue, and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this work. Thank you to my [alpha/beta] for their work on this piece.

_Notes from Poppy Pomfrey's medical journals:_

_4 June 1992_

_I was asked to begin this journal for a particular student due to his being a wizard as well as a medical miracle. I have been sworn to secrecy with my life. Damn you, Dumbledore for attacking me at my most vulnerable. Still, I shall persevere to try and continue to follow my Oath to care for this child that saved us all._

_What follows is an extraordinary account in both magic, will, and survival. I already knew some sort of magic, sacrificial or otherwise lingered on the boy. I could only speculate from what I knew of Lily Potter nee Evans, as she had been an extraordinary young lady. The same for James Potter as well. Still. I had no idea what was to come. Had I been taken to indulge in flights of fancy, this might turn out to be an award-winning novel of the trials of one Harry James Potter. However, what follows is entirely true._

_The young man has been in my Ward just once this year but the discoveries I made regarding young Mr Potter have been nothing but astounding. Despite my findings of neglect, Harry Potter is oddly well adjusted, all things considered. Mr Potter has survived another encounter with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named._

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore administered a draft from a Philosopher's Stone mixed with water to Harry James Potter due to injuries incurred after an encounter with a possessed instructor, Professor Quirinus Quirrell and a wraith of You-Know-Who. The aggressors did not survive. Mr Potter was unconscious for three days. I wonder what the after-effects will be to Mr Potter's health and well being as an infusion from the stone was supposed to be mixed with wine._

~*~

_30 May 1993_

_Although I have seen Mr Potter many times throughout this term due to minor injuries inherent in a school of magic, also due to the incompetence of someone not qualified to wield a healing wand. I was not allowed to examine or treat Mr Potter for his latest activities in the newly-rediscovered chamber of Salazar Slytherin. I feel a certain dereliction of duty as I write this even though I know it is the Headmaster's fault entirely. What follows is a retelling per Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and his phoenix, Fawkes._

_I was unaware that said phoenix could communicate in such a manner, but I learn new secrets of magic on the daily. Possession of another student, dangerous Legendary creatures and weapons, death and resurrection, and finally dark sorcery thwarted. Considering Fawkes contribution of healing tears after an infusion of Basilisk venom, one also has to ponder what other encounters are going to shape this young man's life. As well as the mysteries of so many different magical substances administered to Harry Potter one has to also contemplate what the after-effects will mean in the future._

~*~

_7 June 1994_

_In my entire career after taking the Oath of Hippocrates, I have never seen the likes of what I have been forced to watch unfold this year. And yet, at the end of the year, I must endure the Headmaster's lecture about how "the greater good" will balance the scales. Pish-tosh, I say. Someone needs to speak out and yet, I am restricted to doing my venting here, in secret on a parchment that no one else will ever see. I digress, this is supposed to be my log of Harry Potter's medical history._

_Dementors! In an institute of learning! The Ministry and Dumbledore have much to answer after the events of this year. Thank Merlin for a competent Defense instructor despite his affliction. The poor man! Sightless, soul-sucking fiends, extraordinarily cruel children, and escaped criminals! Merlin preserve us!_

_It is a miracle I don't have an entire school full of overweight and addicted children due to the excessive consumption of chocolate and Dreamless Sleep potions. Not to mention the exposure to a werewolf and meddling of time! I must mention the inclusion of Hermione Granger to Harry Potter's medical accounting because both have been under the effects of a Time-Turner. Together, entwined in the same device. What this means for the two of them, I can not even begin to contemplate._

~*~

_25 June 1995_

_Untenable is the only word that I can comprehend using to describe this year. I feel as though I have failed both my Oath as well as the inhabitants of Hogwarts all by not protesting the contest more. I know that I have left behind the professional accounting of Mr Potter, however, his circumstances must be documented._

_A "revised" tourney, dragons, merpeople, Unforgivable curses, kidnapping and a myriad number of other spells and creatures within the Hogwarts grounds. To what end? Glory, renown? Horrific. Pah, wizarding stupidity at its finest. But those aren't even the most serious offences to my charge, the ones who reside in Hogwarts for the interim and those that are guests in this castle under my care. And all this isn't even the worst I have to report._

_You-Know-Who has returned by the foulest magical means possible._

_Harry Potter was betrayed and robbed of his blood for use in a black magic ritual. I say black because even though I know it is dark, I can't help but feel as if there needs to be a more serious term. The dark magic that abused his person will certainly have catastrophic consequences later in life. The mental component of having to bring back a fallen comrade, the audacity of a deceased student in my Ward along with the news of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's sorcerous return will have disastrous consequences for not only Mr Potter but for the rest of our world as well._

_May Merlin have mercy on us all._

~*~

_21 June 1996_

_Empathy knows no bounds when one is a professional in the healing field. I find mine tested to the limits, though, when five students end up in my infirmary due to the negligence of adults. The one I needed to attend to most hasn't even darkened my doorstep except to visit Miss Granger. I shudder to think what these experiences will do to them, and why no one will put a stop to these disgusting tests of self. What are we becoming when it's the children of the world that are more responsible than adults?_

_Through this year, I can not count the number of students I had to treat for "scrapes" from brushing up against the stone walls of the castle. I leave them to their fictions in spite of the dark magic I can see hiding behind their stories. And yet I find that several of them have been treated by someone with the wherewithal to use Dittany and Murtlap. At least Pomona is doing her job! I'll give Severus the benefit of the doubt that the healer in hiding was trained well, however, I doubt it was a Slytherin to save someone else's skin._

_That's awful to feel this way but I have seen the divide between the Houses widen further than ever before. So many excuses trying to hide the fact that torture was condoned by the Headmaster in a game of wits with the Ministry._

_But I digress as this is supposed to be an accounting for poor Mr Potter. Once again learning knowledge about my charge secondhand through the whispering of his friends that stood by him tonight in his hour of need, and yet I never saw him until the night his godfather passed. I had to make my scans surreptitiously and short._

_Black magic once again used on the poor fellow as well as possession and more Unforgivable magic. I know such magic leaves a scar. The very famous lightning bolt has steadily darkened over the years. This, one can see without a spell. As I have not been able to cast a full examination of Mr Potter, I remain uncertain as to his future. Magic, spells, and potions all react differently to every individual, and Mr Potter has had more than his share of all of the above._

~*~

__1 July 1997__

_A cracked skull, easily mended, detection of the use of a dark curse and extent of the contact Mr Potter had with Dumbledore's cursed hand is unknown, but once again the taint of dark sorcery surrounds Mr Potter. It is a miracle that the boy still lives considering what recently occurred on these hallowed grounds._

_Death eaters have infiltrated Hogwarts and the Headmaster is dead. Even as I write this, I am numb to my core. The tears burst from me while Mr Potter spoke of the terrible circumstances of DUmbledore's passing, and Fawkes' lament began. It continued for several hours, and I hope I am not alone in saying that it was a minor comfort all things considered._

_Once again, of the many individuals, I treated last night not one of them was Mr Potter. I have no idea what the task was that the Headmaster and Mr Potter underwent to take them away from the school that night, but I can only imagine the things that Mr Potter was subjected to considering my examination of Dumbledore's body. May he rest in peace._

~*~

_5 May 1998_

_Despite not seeing Mr Potter all year long, I still have to make this entry. He's been in my care for so long that I realize the lines between patient and healer have blurred completely. It's been a joy to watch him grow into the fine young man I see helping out around the devastated castle. And yet, even though I have done my best just the glimpses I have made of him after the battle has tugged heavily on my heart. He's ever so much thinner than normal, more world-weary, I suppose is the correct term. It's a shame that he was pushed into adulthood far too quickly. I've also gathered information from various sources to know that more malnutrition, neglect, torture both mental and physical had been perpetrated on his person._

_The one time he came to see me was to speak of my profession. He only inquired about blood curses and whether or not they could be cured. I informed him that I was only a matron and not a true healer. But to my knowledge, many things constitute whether or not a person can be healed of such curses if they are true, and if he would allow me, I would do my best to make certain he was given the best of care. He only smiled and shook his head, stating that something Miss Granger has said made him curious. I let him have his privacy, but I wonder if I shouldn't have been more forceful in making certain that he didn't need any attention._

~*~

30 October 1998

Madame Pomfrey,

I apologize for intruding on your private notes but I wanted to let you know that I appreciate all you have done for me. I'd hoped to not bother anyone since you were helping those more grievously injured than I. Although you have done your best within the confines of your oath and the Headmaster's interference, I have a feeling no one will be able to help me, now. Nothing I have tried so far has worked, and I don't think it ever will.

I must ask, like the Headmaster, that you continue to not to tell anyone what you have seen here. Once again, thank you for all you've tried to do.

_Harry James Potter_

****

~*~

**The Daily Prophet**

31October 1998

The Wizarding world is advised that The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, has gone missing. He was last reported seen on the war-torn grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
He has not socialized much since the final battle, although other sources report that his care-worn appearance could use a bit of proper healing. Not one visit to the Hogwarts' Infirmary, the newly minted Minister for Magic or to St Mungo's has been found. Sources close to Mr Potter stated that Mr Potter had taken to his old dorm room for rest each night since helping to begin the restoration on the premier school of magic.  
  
Close companions Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger discovered the disappearance when they sought him out for the evening meal. Not a trace remained of Mr Potter in the room except some torn and dirty clothing and the rumpled bed from whence he'd vanished.  
  
A search and rescue party was formed to find Mr Potter, but so far all efforts in tracing him throughout the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade have been for nought. Means most foul is suspected in conjunction with Mr Potter's disappearance.  
  
If you see or know the whereabouts of Harry Potter, please Owl Kingsley Shacklebolt at the DMLE annexe, Hogwarts.   
  
---  
  
**~*~**

Harry Apparated to Godric's Hollow in the dead of night. The sharp crack of his arrival wasn't noticed by anyone except for the black cat sitting on the bottom of the war memorial stand. It stared at Harry, yellow eyes almost glowing in the dark before climbing down off the obelisk's platform to the cobbled ground. It sauntered away without a backward glance as Harry ambled to the memorial.

Sighing as he looked up at the faces of his parents, Harry ran his hand along the ledge of the statue. "I've come back to the beginning to be with you as there's no other place for me now. I reckon no one will think to search for me in the ruins, and if so then I've been taught some mighty spells to keep me hidden."

He patted Lily's leg, nodded at his father, and turned from the statue to head down the dark street leading outside of the village. Onward to the end of the street, Harry advanced down the hard-packed dirt road and watched as the house appeared as a large black looming shape against the night's embrace. 

The hedges were just as he remembered, overgrown and wild, with the waist-high grass weeding in between the leaves of the bushy windbreak. Harry reached out and touched the gate. The information sign crept up from the tangled nettles, its writing still the same glowing gold that he remembered.

With a deep breath, he pushed open the gate and stepped forward on to the ruined grounds of his childhood home. The rusted metal screeched, flakes of metal came off on his palm and Harry let go of the gate. He waited for an alarm to sound, a Caterwauling Charm or even an Intruder Charm like old Slughorn had used, but there was no noise that he heard. He wondered if it was a silent warning that had possibly given them away last Christmas. 

Still, Harry waited, thinking about the protections that might be placed and the ones they had used during the Horcrux hunt. No one came running to the property and he remembered Hermione had noticed the sinister presence of Nagini that had hidden in the decaying body of Bathilda Bagshot long before they'd arrived at the house.

Certain he wasn't going to bring down any sort of deterrents on his head, Harry pushed the gate shut behind him. The metal clanged, the sound echoed in the stillness of the night. Harry winced, looking around again to see if anyone had noticed. Not one wizard or Muggle came running, so he walked around the side of the house. 

Rubble littered the back lawn and Harry could see into the room where he'd once lived. Darkness hid any remaining furniture, but he wasn't certain it was safe to enter the domicile. Not that he was any sort of expert on buildings, but after so many years and the neglect on the lawn, he sincerely doubted anyone had done much with the wreckage, other than to mark it as a historical site. Moving around the house, he continued inspecting the structure. 

" _Revelio Specialis_ "

A blue light, similar to the same spell Hermione has used for potions ingredients and Lupin had used to disclose the Animagus magic of Pettigrew, lit up the entire house and grounds with an unearthly glow. Slowly the spells on the property were revealed. Many Harry recognized as some of the ones he and Hermione had used to hide their tent during the hunt for the Horcruxes. He added an anti-intruder jinx and an extra concealment charm then continued his survey of the grounds.

As Harry moved closer to the actual house, he felt the ripples of the curse surging through his body. Perhaps it was his magic and not his blood that was cursed? He wondered about that while he ran a hand over his arm, trying to dissipate the sensation, only to have it intensify as his fingers passed over the slight ridge of skin where he'd been bitten by Nagini. The phantom ache of the basilisk bite thrummed like harmony in his veins.

Maybe it was both. Doubt crept into his thoughts and he wondered, if just for a moment, that he should have talked to Hermione before leaving, but he pushed it away when another sensation curled in his stomach. He was **_home_**. He'd only felt at home in Hogwarts before, but this notion went deeper than acceptance. This was his, and his alone.

The urge to enter the house was strong, but the need to find water, to change, was more insistent. He quickly cast a strengthening charm at the base of the house. The foundation glowed eerily with his magic, a sickly greenish-yellow cast replacing the blue of the revealing spells. Turning away from the domicile, Harry looked out onto the property, and to the forest beyond. The siren call surged and he stepped forward into the lush and deep grasses. 

Harry moved through the lawn, almost gliding through the overgrown grass and weeds until he came upon a small clearing. The forest was encroaching on the area as well but underneath the wild brush that defined the grounds was a stone footpath.

Curiosity won out and Harry bent to examine the path. One uneven rock had something inscribed in it and Harry grinned as he traced his mother and father's initials. Standing, he continued on his way, down the crooked trail of flat stones, clearing the way of debris as he moved deeper into the woods. Stopping at another clearing deep in the woods, the singing in his blood surged then quieted.

Turning to make certain he still had his bearing, Harry could see the destroyed top half of the house, a dark blot against the starlit sky. The moon shined over the area, revealing a small pond. The water was dark and deep, the surface of the lagoon was almost but not completely covered in water plants. A few he recognized from Herbology class as magical plants but there were a couple of others that were unfamiliar.

He discovered as he knelt beside the edge just how deep the water was when he lit his wand, passing the glowing end over the water's surface. The water was dark even when he rested the light close to the surface. Seeing nothing just under the water, Harry set his wand to float and pulled back his sleeve. The light did little to guide him as he leaned closer to the water then stuck his arm into the lukewarm water.

Small tadpoles ran from his searching fingers, their silvery flesh flashing in the wand light. The water temperature made his skin goose pimple from the chill, but almost instantly the water warmed around his scarred arm. He had a flash of James Potter wading into the lagoon, Lily sitting on a large rock and giggling at the grimace on his face just before he slipped beneath the surface a few meters in. Harry shook the image from his head. 

He almost tipped ass over teakettle as his fingers encountered the slimy, slick mud at the bottom. Grimacing, he caught some long grasses with his other hand before he sat back onto the damp ground. Withdrawing from the water and flinging the gunk from his fingers, Harry looked around for a better indicator of the water's depth. 

Grasping a stone he stood then tossed it across the length of the pond, skipped the flat stone over the surface before it sank beyond his sight. Leaning back down, he dug his fingers into the silky silt bottom and tiny fish swam away from his intruding fingers. One frog was brave enough to inspect the intruder but as soon as it saw the markings crawling up Harry's arm, the frog backpedalled, croaking like a mad thing as it fled the water.

The splash of the amphibian's retreat, as well as Harry's splat onto the rim of the pond, echoed in the now silent forest clearing. All of nature's hubbub stopped completely and the silence pressed in on Harry as if the animals and the trees knew something larger, meaner, and hungrier than them had entered their domain. Harry shook the drops from his fingers. In the yellow moonlight, he held up his hand, his cloak sliding back even farther to expose his skin to the air.

The markings shifted, overlapping and interlocking to form scales. He'd held it back for this long, but the curse was taking over now that he was on his original home territory. The books he'd read in the library held many different legends to stir his thoughts but almost all had been in agreement that he'd be drawn home. He hadn't truly believed it until this very moment. With a sigh, Harry finished his task to claim the cottage at Godric's Hollow

Dropping his cloak to the ground, Harry stood and looked around the pond clearing, searching for something as he disrobed. His shirt followed, socks and shoes discarded next. He stood with only his trousers hanging loose about his hips. Spotting what he'd been looking for, Harry flicked his wand at the rock sticking up out of the ground. What came away was larger than he expected.

Lily's stone, larger than the flat bit he'd seen in his mind, was big enough for Harry to lay upon and dripped with loose earth in the air as he settled it on the far side of the pond. Now, he'd have a place to rest out of the water.

He shivered in the night air then aimed a warming charm at the rock. Shedding his pants, Harry shook himself. Magic tingled over his skin, tightened the pores to form gooseflesh. A shout escaped him as scales sprouted across his shoulders and then down his back. He twisted trying to see the expanse of the change when another wash of magic pulled at his centre. 

The water beckoned him and Harry felt the need to dive into the darkened depths. Shuddering once more, he took a shambling step toward the water even as the scales continued to crawl across his back. The silt of the pond shifted under his feet and he stumbled as he made it to knee-deep water. Biting his lip in order not to cry out, he watched his thighs fuse. Harry fell face-first into the water, gasping out the pain of the transformation.

Spasms shook his body and he closed his eyes against the pain, trying to relax and let the magic run its course.

Slowly sinking towards the bottom, Harry rolled as the curse rippled over his person. His legs finished seaming together into a long tail. He pushed off the sludge on the bottom, lungs straining. Vision going dark, Harry broke the surface and sucked in huge gulps of air.

Pain still wracked his body though it was subsiding into a dull ache. He closed his eyes and tried to remain afloat and breathe at the same time. The sounds were slowly returning, one chirping frog here, the buzzing of an insect there. The breeze shot through the trees, rustling the leaves and forcing a shiver from Harry's exposed skin.

Shaking the water from his hair, Harry looked down into the water and took in the curse's effects on his person. The curse had completely transformed his body from the hips down, and Harry explored the scales and tail under the water.

Water lapped at his side as he ran his fingers down the smooth scales at his hips. Overestimating his new form, he tipped forward into the water, sputtering as he inhaled a mouth full of the pond. It took several minutes of fighting with his tail to figure out how to make his arms and the long appendage work in tandem so he could float properly upright. 

Harry could smell the water and the pond scum that floated about the weeds. A forked tongue slipped out from between his lips even as he inhaled and Harry clamped a hand over his mouth. He swallowed then opened his mouth again. His tongue, long and slender, was truly forked on the end and as long as he had his mouth open, he could scent the green of the forest.

Wondering what else had changed, Harry looked back at the shore, his pile of clothing with his glasses on top, just at the edge. He didn't need them as he could see everything quite clearly. He breathed out a sigh of relief. At least one thing good had come from this curse.

The items, detritus from his life, waiting for him even though Harry knew he'd never need them again. He did want one thing though and that hope burned a hole in his person until he had to be certain he was still a wizard first and foremost.

Lifting his hand, he Summoned his wand, nearly shouting his joy at still being able to use his magic as the focus slammed into his fist. He turned his back on the shore and made his way over the rock. Heaving his body onto the stone, Harry sighed as the heat from his warming charm slipped into his body. 

His tail, as if it had a life of its own, flicked on the surface of the pond. He watched the ripples lazily as he studied the changes the curse had made. The moonlight drifted over his exposed skin and Harry yawned, his changes forgotten as he accepted the changes. Decisions formalized in his mind, he relaxed and ran his hands through the water as he lay on the rock. His entire body throbbed from the change and he had no idea what the morning light would bring, but he was home at last. And with that last thought, he drifted off from exhaustion.

**~*~**

_10 October 2005_

Hermione placed the letter on the table. Her eyes ran over the flashing headline on _The Daily Prophet_ , an ache filling her at the implications, and she looked at McGonagall. "Seven years," she murmured.

McGonagall placed her teacup back into its saucer and crooked her head at Hermione. Her eyes were slightly narrowed behind the square frames and she cleared her throat. "Yes, it seems as if it were only yesterday though. War takes its toll on everyone, Ms Granger."

Hermione shook her head. "No…, well, yes, of course. Time waits for no wizard, but Harry..." She swallowed and forced the words from her mouth even though they felt sour on her tongue. "The Wizengamot is going to declare Harry deceased later this month."

McGonagall closed her eyes, fingers folding over one another as she clutched her hands. "I had wondered."

"His vault has still never been closed and even though nothing has been removed from it since the day before he vanished, the goblins have decided to keep his account open."

Hermione felt McGonagall's eyes on her but didn't look up at her.

"The Goblins would do nothing less regardless of the debt owed. They do not operate as wizards do."

Looking up, Hermione met the steely gaze of her companion. "You believe too, then?"

McGonagall shook her head. "No, my dear, I'm afraid I have much less faith in the world now than I did when I was your age."

Shaking her head, Hermione answered, the words filling her with hope against all odds. "He's still out there. Alive. I know it."

"You may be correct, but each year the facts remain the same." McGonagall retrieved her cup and sipped before speaking gently but firmly. "Harry Potter vanished with nary a trace that October evening and no one has seen him since."

She met Hermione's gaze. "Don't you think it is past time to move on?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "No. Ron and the others have moved on, but I can't. I've never forsaken Harry in the past and I shan't do so now."

"My dear, you have moved on. Life does so whether we want it to or not. I know you gave up many things to try and find Mr Potter over the years, but the fact remains, and I am certain this is a very large part of Mr Potter's thinking, he does not want to be found." 

McGonagall reached across the table to pat Hermione's hand. "I rather dislike that you go away on All Hallows Eve, but I understand. Grief abides by no respectful laws or etiquette. I take it you will still visit Godric's Hollow this year?"

"Yes, and I'll continue to do so until I am certain, with proof, that Harry is gone."

**~*~**

_31 October 2005_

In the many years that Hermione had been visiting Godric's Hollow, very little had changed. The townsfolk had been suspicious of her at first, but she'd slowly won them over with kindness as well as a little magic. The autumn winds blew around her, tossing her hair in the breeze and she pulled her cloak about her more securely. The sun was just setting, leaving its fiery blaze across the darkening sky as she walked to the village proper.

Paying her respects to the obelisk, Hermione then turned toward the church and its small cemetery. She greeted the rector of the little church as he gathered the children in for the fall festival activities and made her way past the kissing gate.

Hermione laid the flowers she'd brought on Ariana Dumbledore's grave and then some for Bathilda Bagshot's before she made her way toward the Potter's. Blowing away the gathered fallen leaves from the stone, she placed the Christmas Roses as she had done for the past eight years. Turning, she continued to tidy the area and uncovered the next memorial. She'd had a marker placed for Sirius shortly after the war, but had vetoed any suggestion that one be placed for Harry.

"Mr and Mrs Potter, Sirius, it's Hermione." She paused. "Again."

It was always odd to speak with them like this. She felt as she had before that she was being watched, and she wasn't quite certain as to whether or not that it was an actual sensation or just the feeling of the cemetery.

"Why are you here?"

Eyes wide, Hermione froze. The voice was soft and she wasn't entirely certain that she had heard it at all. She listened a moment longer with no other inquiries sounding from the beyond. She then started her yearly promise to Harry's loved ones.

"I've still not found Harry, but I suppose you know this. However, I'm not going to give up. If he is with you then I don't think I truly want to know because I know there is no possible way for you to give me the proof I need to believe it. But, eventually, I suppose, I'll accept it."

"He isn't."

Rustling leaves in the far rear of the cemetery announced the presence of the speaker after the voice had added its opinion. Hermione continued to stare down at the headstone, listening hard for it to call out again.

"Why are you here?"

Swallowing hard, Hermione looked up, searching out the voice even as she startled to see just how dark it was even though she'd seen the sun setting. "I'm paying my respects."

"Why?"

"Why not? I may not have known them well, but they deserved to be honoured on this night. Their loss shouldn't be celebrated regardless of the victories won from sacrifice." Hermione paused. "Why are you here?"

"This place is mine."

"This is a public place of worship and remembrance. No one truly owns it."

"I suppose, but this is mine nonetheless."

The more she listened to the few words, the more she felt as if she might know the person behind the voice. She drew her wand. "Show yourself."

"No. Please leave."

Hermione lit her wand and heard the scuttle of someone moving through the graveyard. She turned toward the sounds. "I'm not the one skulking through the shadows. I am allowed to be here."

"No… Please… just go."

The voice quieted after uttering the last phrase. It was heart-rending and yet, Hermione felt compelled to comfort the person.

Dousing her wand, Hermione shook her head. "I didn't mean to interrupt you. I didn't realize others mourned them properly."

"I… You needn't come at all. They aren't here."

The slithering noise moved past her and she whirled about, narrowing her eyes in the darkness to try and find the mourner. "I know, but I do this out of love and respect."

"No one respects the dead. Nor the living for that matter. Not truly. Now, please leave. And do not return. Let him rest in peace."

Hermione followed the sound of the voice, certain she recognized the timber. As she moved out of the cemetery, she heard only her footfalls along the path. Swishing sounds, like leaves skittering over the pavement, led her down the street and still, she could not see the owner of the disembodied voice.

The warning sense that something was wrong, that she shouldn't be following said voice was absent. "Where are you?"

"Home."

Hermione looked up as the sounds ceased. The memorial of the Potter's cottage loomed over her. Though she had returned to the cemetery many times, she hadn't been able to make herself come to this spot. The Potters had been killed here and she still believed that it was a violation of their privacy that the place had been turned into nothing more than what she felt was a tourist trap.

She drew her wand and pointed it at the house. "This is no one's home any longer. You are trespassing. Come out now before I summon the Aurors."

"Are you truly certain you wish to see me?" 

Breathing deeply, Hermione nodded. "Yes. Come forward, leave peacefully, and there will be no more problems.

The hedges parted and Hermione stepped back as Harry's head slipped through the bushes. She gasped as the rest of him followed. "Harry…" she breathed and took a step back, tripping over dead branches to fall to the ground.

Her head bounced on the ground and she groaned, struggling to return to her feet. She noticed the tail curling about her feet then shrieked as he reached for her. Harry's green eyes stared into her own and she blacked out when he blinked double lids over the slitted pupil.

~*~

Harry stared down at Hermione's limp form then sighed. He'd watched her for years and had ached with the loss of her. He'd watched her mature and pined to say something to her. To allow her to help him despite knowing that nothing could be done. He'd never been tempted to speak to her and had no idea what possessed him to lead her back to his den proper. Apparently, there were still things he didn't know about himself, in spite of accepting the changes.

Reaching down, Harry stroked the back of his hand across her brow, careful to not scratch her delicate skin with the claws protruding from his fingers. "I'm so sorry."

Her eyelids fluttered and Harry stepped back, hiding in the shadows of the trees as she lay in the clearing before the forest. "Hermione," he called.

She stirred again, groaning before she rolled over and jumped to her feet. "Harry!" She swayed and Harry slithered out, catching her before she fell.

"Careful now, you've had a night." Harry murmured as he held on to her, wincing when she jerked away from him. He wasn't surprised when she drew her wand and aimed at him.

He let her look her fill as the moonlight drifted over the clearing. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Quiet!" Hermione hissed.

She stepped forward and Harry remained where he was, though he drew his tail closer to his body. The action forced him straight, his body pulling up to the full length and height, and he towered over Hermione as she inspected him.

Watching her move around him, he waited and then glanced up to check the moon. "I'll answer your questions if you'll ask before sunrise. Then I must ask that you leave and never return, Hermione. There's nothing here for you. Please live your life and be happy."

Hermione paused and stared up at him. "What happened?"

Harry grinned and Hermione backed away from him when his fangs were exposed. He covered his mouth for a moment then answered her. "I never wanted anyone to sacrifice their lives for me. This was my decision and my decision alone."

Shaking her head, Hermione stalked forward. "We'll talk about that later. You left. You didn't even ask for help!" 

"I did. I searched the library over. I even went to see Madame Pomfrey. She couldn't help me, so how could I ask you when you all had given up so much?"

"We would have never given up, Harry. I thought you knew that."

Harry leaned forward. "Nothing is to be done. I waited as long as I could and what you see now is how I am. It happened that Halloween night after I left." He glared at her. "Even now you look at me suspiciously and can do nothing but demand answers. I have none."

Hermione looked away from him. "You didn't even try and I looked for you."

"I know. I saw you."

"Then why have you only just now spoken up?"

Harry sighed and eased out of his attentive stance. "I can't watch you any longer. I want you to move on with your life."

Hermione shook her head. "I know you are alive now. And I won't go."

"I could make you." Harry hissed and rose, towering over her. His tongue flicked out and he narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "You don't know what I am capable of now."

"I dare you to cast that spell, Harry. Remove yourself from my memories." She moved closer to him. "I'll break the charm."

Hermione continued to glare at him, and Harry grinned again, giving her a show of fangs. He let his tongue slip out, the forked ends gracing over the wild curls on her head. Still, she stood her ground, even as he could hear her heart beat frantically in her chest.

He breathed deeply of the scent of her and her fear. "So fierce." He touched her face and longing surged through him when she leaned into his palm. "I can't take you away."

"Then let me help."

"There's nothing that can be done." 

"At least tell me what happened."

Shaking his head, Harry sighed. "As long as you promise to let me be after sunrise."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Explain it and I will decide at sunrise."

"As good as I am going to get, I suppose. Follow me. I want to be comfortable as I do this."

Harry slithered down the path, Hermione's footfalls a soft echo on the flat stones. "As far as I know, I was cursed by Nagini and Tom Riddle. It began to happen the morning after the battle. I think it's some sort of blood curse"

"Maledictus?" Narrowing her eyes, Hermione walked around him, taking in his scales and tail. "But how? All those that suffer from the Maledictus blood curse are female."

Harry shrugged and settled down on a rock, curling his tail around him. He ran a hand over his abdomen then cast a warming charm on the rock. "I realized that when you told me about Nagini, but I was changing. I could feel things."

"What things?"

Harry lunged at her, and Hermione dropped to the ground, eyes open wide in fright. "Let me finish," he snapped.

Hermione nodded. "I'm sorry."

Inclining his head, Harry leaned back. "I was called here by something. I felt it in my blood and on my skin. Magic coursed through me and I changed. Scales had already erupted on my arms and legs and then once I made it here, back onto these grounds, it was unlike anything I've ever known. But before all this happened I found something at Little Hangleton."

Hermione sat up, eyes still wide as she listened, but she moved closer. "What?"

Harry flicked something at her. 

Hermione caught the object and turned it over in the moonlight. It was an odd coin, one side with many armed person on it and the other side was a half-snake half-human, as Harry had become.

"Naga?"

Harry nodded. "I suppose so considering it was Nagini that bit me that night in Bathilda Bagshot's home. I don't think she meant to have done, and I definitely don't think she injected any venom, but she had every intention of keeping me there."

"And then?" she whispered.

Harry reached out and caressed her face. "I came home and transformed. The change happens every Halloween, and in the morning I am human again. Somewhat. But each year I become a little more snake-like."

Hermione moved closer. "But you do become human. It's only one night a year?"

Harry nodded. "Only I'm not human. My eyes are permanently slitted, and the fangs and tongue. This has not changed either."

"Harry, I can help you. I can fix this."

Shaking his head, Harry looked up and pointed. The sun was rising, the light bleeding through the clouds. His entire body stiffened and he slid off the rock. With a groan, he moved toward his pond and Hermione scrambled after him.

Harry sank into the water with a shout as his body shivered. He thrashed in pain, the long tail, ripped, rending in half as his legs reformed. Harry sank beneath the surface of the water, the splashing echoing through the woods even as the sun moved higher in the sky. He burst up from the depths, panting and moved slowly to the shore.

Hermione stood at the edge, reaching for him as he moved. She dragged him through the muck, laying him to rest half in and half out of the water.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered and leaned down over him.

Harry opened his eyes, caught her gaze and grinned, the fangs glistening in the early light as he rose to her. "Hermione…"

A cobra hood spread from his shoulders and Harry grabbed her, pulling her to him as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her throat. He lifted and looked at her, his gaze locked onto her eyes. "Stay?"

Hermione nodded, still staring into Harry's eyes.

Harry wrapped his arms about her and kissed her. Hermione moaned and leaned into him as he dragged her into the pond.

**~*~**

**The Daily Prophet**

_1 November 2005_

Hermione Granger, Librarian of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is missing. It is presumed she ran afoul of the same consequences of Harry James Potter as she was last seen on the Hogwarts grounds. It has also been reported that Ms Granger visited Godric's Hollow every year on Halloween. The Wizarding public will recall on the anniversary of the death of James and Lily Potter, their son, Harry James Potter disappeared eighteen years later, just months after his defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.  
  
Early last month, The Wizengamot declared Harry James Potter, legally deceased and notified the population at large. Ms Granger was a staunch defender of The Chosen One status often stating that Mr Potter had not died but just wished to be left alone. She also reiterated that one day he would be found. Her statements belayed the eventuality though what every witch and wizard feared.  
  
Close acquaintances Ronald and Lavender Weasley had nothing to offer on neither Mr Potter's nor Ms Granger's disappearance. Andromeda Tonks also could not be reached for comment. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall gave a statement when others would not. "It is obvious that Ms Granger was grieving Mr Potter's loss. I would not be surprised to find that she left the wizarding world altogether. I ask that you respect her decision to remove herself from the limelight. Mr Potter's as well."  
  
  
  
  
---  
  
The End


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